Is Apple Considering a 13-inch MacBook Pro Discontinuation? Here's Why

Apple's long-awaited 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros have just been released, and the 13-inch model is starting to look like an oddball in the product line.

Until November 2020, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the only Mac featuring a Touch Bar, making it an outlier in Apple's product lineup. No speculations of a 13-inch MacBook Pro redesign have surfaced, raising the question of the MacBook Pro's future.

Compared to the entry-level MacBook Pro models, the high-end models now have more features and are therefore more expensive. These include MagSafe 3, more ports, larger displays, a 1080p webcam, full-size physical function keys, as well as mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR displays with ProMotion. There is a distinct lack of "Pro" capabilities in the entry-level MacBook Pro in light of the high-end computers being obviously aimed at professionals with pricey price tags.

According to our in-depth buyer's guide, the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro have a lot in common. As far as hardware goes, both have the same processor, 13.3-inch HD display, Touch ID and connectors. The display brightness, Touch Bar, microphone and speaker quality, two extra hours of battery life, and active cooling system give the 13-inch MacBook Pro a minor advantage over the MacBook Air.

However, the MacBook Pro's $1,299 price tag may make it tough for many casual users to justify spending an extra $300 over the MacBook Air. In terms of day-to-day use, features like display brightness and active cooling don't make much of a difference between the two devices.

Apple removed the OLED strip from the current MacBook Pros, implying that the technology will be deprecated across the board, despite the fact that the Touch Bar was a compelling incentive to buy the MacBook Pro in prior years.

After a year of speculation, it appears that Apple will release a new MacBook Air next year, which will further close the gap between MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. MagSafe 3, the M2 chip, a mini-LED display, full-size function keys, a 1080p webcam, and a new, smaller design are all said to be included in this device.

Compared to the entry-level MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air would benefit greatly from these changes, bringing it closer to the high-end MacBook Pro while leaving the entry-level MacBook Pro behind as a significantly inferior device.

Apple could, of course, keep the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the M1 MacBook Air in the lineup and introduce the 2022 MacBook Air or "MacBook" at a price point between the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but it seems more likely that the 13-inch MacBook Pro would be discontinued to simplify the lineup.

The next-generation MacBook Air may just be referred as as a "MacBook" next year, according to speculations. If the 13-inch MacBook Pro were replaced with a lower-priced Mac laptop, naming the machine this way would make more sense.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro may be retired in 2022, despite the fact that no one knows what Apple's plans are at this point.